Singer: Birdy on new paths: Less heartbreak, more synth pop

singer
Birdy on new paths: Less heartbreak, more synth pop

In the video clip for her catchy tune “Paradise Calling”, Birdy dances exuberantly across a meadow. Powerful synthesizer riffs sound to driving pop beats. Then the British singer and songwriter belts out the rousing chorus, which sticks in your head the first time you hear it. It’s almost impossible not to move to this energetic pop banger. Birdy cheerfully ventures into new musical territory on their fifth studio album.

On “Portraits” the 27-year-old surprises with a powerful production and distinctive synth sounds. “I wanted to do something that I enjoy creating,” says Birdy in an interview with the German Press Agency London. “Because the last record was kind of intimate and introverted and the whole process was pretty painful.” On “Young Heart” she had processed a breakup. “After that, I wanted to do the exact opposite.”

Birdy as a mature artist

She speaks softly and seems almost a little shy – very different from the album. “Portraits” is a confident, eclectic pop album that showcases Birdy as a mature artist. She was inspired by Beth Gibbons, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey and Kate Bush. “She does such a beautiful mix,” says Birdy of Bush, “this mix of electronic and very traditional, classical, almost folky instruments and storytelling, I love how it comes together. It’s otherworldly.”

The atmospheric “Raincatchers” is, so to speak, a worthy successor to Bush’s “Cloudbusting”. “It’s one of my favorite songs of hers,” says Birdy. The entire album “Hounds Of Love” from 1985 did it to her. “I’m sure I absorbed elements of ‘Cloudbusting’.” Her enthusiasm for the exceptional British artist also shines through in “Ruins II”.

Influences from many directions

Again, “Ruins I” shows the influence of Portishead singer Gibbons. “The mix of electronic and acoustic instruments, the rawness of their vocals in contrast to these heavier-sounding instruments,” explains Birdy, who – despite all the prominent role models it has to be pointed out – absolutely does her own thing. Not a single song on “Portraits” feels like a copy or something rehashed. Birdy is always just Birdy.

In the past, a British magazine attested that she had created her own genre. When asked about this, she nods happily. “It’s nice, I like it,” she says. “People always ask me how I would describe my music. And I don’t really know. I don’t sit in the studio and think: Okay, now I’ll do something like this. My influences come from so many different directions that it’s hard to say.”

It’s been 12 years since the singer, whose real name is Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde, rose to fame as a teenager with her cover of “People Help The People.” She had completely made the ballad of the indie band Cherry Ghost her own and landed a world hit with it. Poignant ballads are still one of their strengths, even if heartbreak has taken a back seat.

Songs with radio potential

In contrast to most of the other tracks on her new album, “Your Arms” only features her warm voice and a piano and some very subtle synths towards the end. In “I Wish I Was A Shooting Star”, “Battlefield” and “Tears Don’t Fall” a detailed sound framework provides atmosphere. “Automatic”, on the other hand, is smooth synth pop. Almost every song on the album is radio-ready without even remotely suggesting it was intentional.

No superfluous guest appearances, no annoying auto-tune effects – with “Portraits” Birdy presents a pop album that goes beyond the current trends, but instead full of naturalness and with high-class songs and rich lyrics. Birdy is amused that “Paradise Calling” is the first song by her that could fill the dance floor. Especially since she had to rehearse for two days for the accompanying video clip. “I dance so badly,” she admits and laughs. “I’m really not a dancer.”

dpa